The Fractured Whole
by YaDingus
Summary: The night of the sealing should have seen the parents dead and an orphan on the path to eventual greatness. But things can change. Now in a new world, Uzumaki Naruto is on an entirely different path. One where ninja and biju are replaced with Hunters and Grimm. The setting and players might be different but...some things are still set in stone.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own either of these.

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Chapter 1:

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Uzumaki Kushina's entire being was already in agony, both from running on the fumes of her chakra as well as having the entirety of a biju ripped from its seal, so having one of the Kyuubi's massive claws pierced through her upper body wasn't so bad. It still hurt like a bitch though but Kushina was close to fully fading at this point so there was more of a numb coldness than anything else.

All she cared about was her son. Uzumaki Naruto. Not even an hour old, with cute little marks on his chubby cheeks and a tuft of yellow hair. He was currently asleep in the crib her husband Namikaze Minato had summoned for a...certain ritual. She was far too weak; resealing the Nine-tails within her would only see it free again the moment she expired. Minato was in the same boat, impaled behind her as he too jumped in to protect his newborn. And as much as she abhorred the idea of putting her baby through the same hell she had experienced...young Naruto was the only one left who could keep the monster at bay.

Minato would seal only the yang half of the beast in Naruto. Minato would take the yin half unto himself, dragging it to the afterlife with him as well as crippling the Kyuubi in the process. It would take a forbidden sealing method that would literally attach the two halves to their own souls in exchange for Minato's own...but he was dying already anyways so there wasn't anything to lose. The second half would be safely locked away within the stomach of the Shinigami itself and it would give the fox an incentive towards keeping the boy alive:

If Naruto found himself heading to the afterlife sooner than intended, so would the rest of the beast be dragged right along with him while it was trapped within the boy's body.

"-and know...that we'll always love you..." With nothing else to say, Kushina waited for her husband to give his own advice to their son while he molded the necessary requirements for the Shiki Fuin. Yet he remained silent among the Kyuubi's deafening growls and the faint sounds of Konoha off in the distance. "Mi...Minato?"

The woman felt him slump against her and the last bit of her hope died along with it. They had both jumped in the way when the creature tried to crush their child and the claw had stabbed through them both, centimeters from poking the baby with its tip. The entirety of the fox was now paralyzed thanks to Minato's quick thinking and skill in fuinjutsu activating the moment the monster touched him. Yet most of their organs were completely destroyed. It was only thanks to her Uzumaki vitality and probably a miracle that she had hung on this long. Kushina belatedly realized Minato didn't have the gift of a bloodline to see him through.

The tears already flowing down her cheeks doubled in intensity at the understanding that the love of her life was already gone.

She couldn't hope to pull off such a chakra-driven technique the way she was now. No one else knew it although Minato had seen fit to include its instructions in the Forbidden Scroll; yet mastering such a skill while the biju was once again free to attack the village was impossible. Countless more would die tonight and, even after all the new family had done to prevent it, Konoha's destruction seemed nigh.

Her vision was fading fast but the Uzumaki struggled to keep her sight on her one and only child. She had been so excited and nervous when she had discovered she was pregnant. The actual pregnancy had been a nightmare, and the delivery was entirely unethical due to the fact her own seal weakened at the birthing (plus the pain! Oh, she didn't know what was worse...losing the Kyuubi or pushing out a baby!). But there he was...her child...her son...

Another soon-to-be casualty of the night.

Kushina was feeling tired. So very tired. She could barely keep her eyes open at this point and the massive nail within her was beginning to fidget. Minato's seal was meant to last only a brief amount of time and give him the means to finish his preparations.

She no longer had the strength to even lift her head anymore. It was so cold. All color had drained from the world and the bastard fox's screams were nothing but dull murmurs at this point as it continued to struggle, far more than it should have been. Something was happening but Kushina didn't care. She didn't care about the ghastly and monstrous figure hovering over them either, unseen by all as its fanged mask stared down the Kyuubi unflinchingly. All the mother cared about was the safety of her son.

And a moment later, she was unable to care about that as well.

* * *

Doctor Citrine had seen many things over his career as a doctor on the small island of Patch located just outside the Kingdom of Vale. The Creatures of Grimm were not as bountiful here as they were on the continents, but that did not mean the vicious monsters were no less deadly. Their city was large but more than half the island was still considered 'the wilds': land given free reign by the Grimm. Only the brave or stupid chose to live outside the relative safety of Patch. Most were surprisingly secure and protected themselves quite well.

And then there were those like these poor bastards.

Citrine felt like he needed a cigarette after so much time in surgery, and the man hadn't smoked in twenty years. He sighed, feeling as though his already pale hair was going to turn further gray after that additional stress, and inhaled one last breath of fresh air before returning to the sterilized environment of the hospital.

A family, or as far as they could tell. One man, one woman, and a child that resembled them both in some way. While the boy was relatively fine and currently resting in pediatrics, the parents were another story. The Grimm had gotten to them. There was no doubt about it. Both were ripped wide open and it was a miracle they were still alive...for however long his efforts bought them.

The man had been a hairsbreadth away from meeting his maker when the Hunters brought them in. They fixed him up the best they could but it was a coin toss whether or not he survived the night. The mother was the same way but she'd been surprisingly vocal while unconscious, speaking gibberish but uttering the same words over and over.

Citrine didn't know what a 'Naruto' was or to a lesser extent 'Minato' but the poor redheaded woman somehow kept saying it in her deliria as she faded in and out in the ICU.

Stepping through the halls he came upon the nurse's station, where said employees looked just as frazzled as he felt. Nurse Lemosa sat at the front desk with her head in her hands, propped up on the counter. She looked up the moment he appeared in front of her before slowly shaking her head. "You look like you need a break," he said.

"Me? I'm not the one who was just in surgery for _thirteen_ hours. If anything you're the one who needs to rest."

"I'm fine," the doctor lied; he was ready to drop at any moment, "I just was outside getting some air. How are the patients?"

"I...can't explain it. Their organs were obliterated and pushed far out of place. How you or Doctor Pine fixed all that damage is beyond me. The woman clearly just gave birth. Her body was still in the post-birthing shock. So much stress and bloodloss should have killed her outright."

"We did the best we could. Both were depleted of aura but, surprisingly, when we used the Dust enhancers to stabilize them, their bodies responded immediately. I'm sure it was only that which allowed us the time necessary to sew everything up and heal the worst of it. The man has a very powerful aura even if it was nearly gone. "

Lemosa rolled her neck before breathing heavily out her nose. "Well, Laverne just checked on the parents. Nothing's changed. That sweet little baby though...I better not find out who put that ink on his stomach. I washed as best as I could but it would _not_ come off." The woman looked quite put off. The idea of it being permanent only put her in a fouler mood. "And then there's this."

Citrine had to peek over just to see what she was gesturing towards. It was the pouch once strapped to the blond man's waist, and a few knickknacks from within. One looked like a license, picture included...yet the words were unintelligible squiggles. "A joke ID?"

"It was the only one on his person. The other pouch was full of pointy objects one would assume was used to fight the Grimm. Yet they look like they'd never be able to stand up against the tough hides of those monsters."

Citrine sighed quietly. "We live on Patch. These sort of crazy cases are supposed to be found in the Kingdoms proper, not a little island nation that's annexed by Vale."

"...what should we do about it?"

"Nothing drastic. Alert the Hunters that we have a strange John and Jane Doe on our hands complete with child. We'll continue monitoring their conditions and hope for the best." The surgeon rubbed his face before turning towards the on call room. "They're both due for additional surgery in four hours. Now that the most life threatening wounds have been dealt with, there's still more to be done."

"And if they die regardless?"

Citrine faced her with a look that clearly expressed she should have already known that answer. "Then at least we tried our best."

* * *

"Naruto...," she breathed out, weak arms groping blindly along the starch white sheets. "Minato...Naruto."

The nurses came running as the vital signs of the mysterious redhead spiked two days later. They found her with one eye open, unfocused but searching, attempting to rise out of the bed in spite of all the equipment hooked to her body. Her words were warbled through the oxygen mask but the employees were quite certain of what she was saying. The older woman didn't say anything else.

She continued to struggle even as they increased the amount of sedative in her IV flow but the weakness in the redhead's body easily allowed the nurses to keep her in bed. This would continue on for some time as the nameless one swam in and out of consciousness. But the next event never steered away from the last. At least, until, one of the nurses had the idea to bring the baby up. His time in pediatrics had done well for the infant...but keeping a newborn separated from a wanting mother was detrimental to both of them.

By the time Lemosa herself returned carrying the cooing infant with the bright blue eyes and disheartening scratches on his cheeks, the woman was awake again with her arm extended towards the still unconscious male one bed over. Well that was new; never before had she been so aware of her surroundings.

The redhead's mask was off and in spite of her tired, wheezing breaths, she continued to try and pull herself over. "Minato!" she would say almost frantically from the half-sitting position, with a string of other words Lemosa and her peers could not understand. But at their arrival she turned her head with violet irises underlined by dark circles...only to have them widen while she began to shake. That word 'Naruto' was said plenty of times again as she reached out, never taking her eyes off the yawning babe in her arms.

Professionally Lemosa knew it was a bad idea to hand a weak little baby to a woman who had undergone multiple surgeries and clearly had no strength...but things were starting to make sense now that at least one of them was lucid. Minato had to be the name of the father...and Naruto the son. Drawing closer Lemosa forced herself to smile before setting her hip on an empty spot of the bed next to the mother, carefully handing over the baby and repositioning the other female's arms to a proper position. The lady didn't even care. All she cared about was the little bundle making noise in her embrace.

Lemosa's smile turned genuine as the redhead's eyes grew misty and she began to quake just a little bit more, whispering to her son before pulling him close as the tears finally began to fall. Occasionally she would glance over to Minato before rubbing her face against the tiny cheek of her child's. It was an endearing sight that raised Lemosa's spirits just a little bit more. The medical profession could be an incredibly bleak and heartbreaking place to work...but there were times like this where the negatives evened out and reminded the veteran nurse why she wanted to get into medicine in the first place.

All Kushina knew during this time was that this was some sort of hospital. Her body was incredibly sore even with all the drugs pumping into her body. Things just weren't adding up though and with everything affecting her, her mind was unable to properly process it all.

However! Through it all there were two things she needed more than anything else in the world.

One was her husband who, as she finally started to register the more her Uzumaki body healed, was in the cot next to her looking just as shitty as herself. The heart monitor tied to his chest was slow but surprisingly steady. The next was her son who was just brought in by what was clearly a nurse. Kushina couldn't help it; she starting crying at the sight of little Naruto healthy and whole making those squeaky baby noises all seemed wont to do. The moment she had him in her arms again she joined him in making sound, a mixture of sobs and laughter due to the former jinchuriki being unable to decide on one single emotion. It truly didn't make any sense.

She was alive. Naruto was alive. Minato, despite his current circumstances, was still alive.

And once again, nothing else mattered at the moment.

* * *

"Their names appear to be Minato, Kushina, and Naruto. In the three months since Summer Rose found them in the forests outside Patch, it is the most information we've been able to glean."

"Nothing else? Truly?"

"The mother, Kushina, speaks a language unheard of before. It is assumed that her husband Minato uses the same. He was the only one with any sort of identification on his person, yet it too was completely illegible save for the photo. They were no letters I've ever seen before, if that."

"Perhaps the attack also scarred her mentally. It may be that this Kushina, if that truly is her name, believes she is speaking normally while everyone else hears nonsense."

"A possibility. Yet the continuous tests show her brain activity is quite within normal parameters. We've scheduled a psychologist once she regains more of her strength."

"And what of the husband? Has he shown any signs of recovery?"

"He awoke. Once. But he was too weak to do anything other than fall unconscious yet again and the doctors were too slow to gain anything of it. His rate of healing has been rather slow...or, by normal standards, the normal expected rate. Compared to Kushina...I'm not sure if it's a Semblance or what but she had grown stronger _far_ more quickly than a woman who suffered the tail end of a pregnancy and Grimm attack at the same time. She has already shown the ability to walk unaided for brief moments, and she spends most of her time doting over the rest of her family."

There was a rustle of paper. "Additional thoughts?"

"...none of them should be alive."

"Explain."

"Something had disemboweled both adults. When they were first brought in it looked as though a tree trunk had been shoved right through both of them. There was blood everywhere. Kushina's organs were ruptured and displaced but somehow still within the realm of recovery from lifesaving surgery. Minato had absolutely no chance even _with_ surgery, yet he too is miraculously still breathing, proving us all wrong. And the boy; he should have succumbed to the elements long before Summer discovered them which, by the way, was a complete accident. They all should have _died_ , Ozpin. All evidence points towards three corpses, not three new additions to Patch. Nothing about it is adding up."

The young headmaster of Beacon Academy in Vale scratched his chin before spinning around in his chair, peering down at the Scroll that held the long distance call between himself and his old friend Qrow. The silver-haired man hummed before reaching for his nearby cup of coffee. "Well...there are still plenty of mysteries to be found around Remnant. What are the Grimm, truly? Where do they come from? What was the catalyst behind the genetic split between humans and Faunus? So what is one more to add to the list?"

"You always were the calm voice of reason Ozpin. We have a group of unfamiliar guests with a cloud of strangeness hovering about them, and you would rather debate hypotheticals."

"As of right now there is nothing else anyone can do. All that _can_ be done is allow the family to recover and rebuild, and then try again at a more convenient time."

"Indeed." The man named Qrow paused before his voice returned, sounding strained. "I need to cut our conversation short Ozpin. Yang just woke up and Taiyang had absolutely no clue how to deal with a newborn himself."

The professor produced a slight grimace at Qrow's tone. Little Yang Xiao Long was less than half a year old by now and already quite the handful...especially since her mother just up and left one day without so much as a proper goodbye. Taiyang was an excellent Huntsman and provider but caregiver? Not so much. "Summer is not around? I was led to believe she volunteered to assist with the child."

"No...not this time. She's off at the hospital again, hoping to learn more about the others. You know how she is—that woman is far too bright-eyed and inquisitive for her own good. Taiyang told her he'd be perfectly fine and she believed it...which naturally means it's up to me to handle the situation in his stead."

"...I see. Well. I'll leave you to it."

"Will do. Take care, Ozpin. I'll be in touch."

The line ended and Ozpin tapped the screen once, making the large Scroll built into his desk shut down. To say he was curious would be an understatement. While Patch was outside his jurisdiction, that did not mean the headmaster did not keep an eye on the world at large. He was a Huntsman himself you know. Watching out for viable threats and allies was always high on the list. Not to say this family could be either...but it never hurt to check.

Qrow knew him well enough to already be one step ahead.

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 **Just another idea that's been floating around in my head for awhile. Needed a break from everything else, and this was the result. Something new and interesting, or at least I hope.**

 ***Edited Qrow's relation to family, though I'm still rather unconvinced on the truth until Volume 3 hopefully clears some things up.**

 **So how did they get to Remnant? What's going on? What will Naruto be like not wanting for companionship and acknowledgement? Well, I don't think _too_ much different. It sure as hell won't be an OC named Naruto, that's for damn sure.**

 ***Ah, and some interesting news! I've finally got a video up on my Youtube channel, should you have an inkling of interest in that. I just sorta fool around in Minecraft with my buddy...but it's something. The production value is amateurish but hey, we're amateurs. So long as we keep at it we'll get better. And have more unique content.**

 **So thanks for reading, or reviewing, or subscribing, or watching, or whatever else you feel like doing regarding my work. See you next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own either of these.

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Chapter 2:

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"You're doing great Summer," Taiyang Xiao Long said with a wince as the female in question slowly ground the bones in his hand to powder. For such a thin woman she sure had some power in those petite limbs. What was it with the fairer sex attempting to lower his effectiveness as a Huntsman all the time? Summer, normally such a sweet person to everyone and anyone, had grown unnaturally mean over the last few months. Yet that would last for a time before she reverted back to her caring, lovely self. And then return to being...well, a bitch. So on and so forth. And don't even get him started on all the random tears!

Damn hormones.

"Don't patronize me!" she shrieked before crying out in pain, simultaneously causing the man at her side to do the exact same thing. The heavily pregnant Huntress was lying on a hospital bed in nothing but a thin gown, her legs elevated and apart while the doctor was down below doing his job. The normally fair-skinned woman was pale and sweaty, while her currently shoulder-length reddish hair tinted with black was plastered to her face. Usually she would have put some care into her appearance but, right about now, a baby was currently slipping out of her and _it! Hurt! Unbearably!_

The veins pulsed in her neck as another contraction ripped through her, further causing the father of her child to cringe. Summer Rose was one of the most even-tempered and caring humans around but a part of her couldn't help but feel vindication every time Taiyang gasped. If she was going to hurt, then so was he for putting her through this.

"I can see the head," the doctor said in a flat, clinical tone.

"Thank god!" she gasped, before shuddering again. Kushina had gone through this during a Grimm attack?...that woman had to be the most hardcore parent to ever exist!

Outside Summer's birthing room, said redhead waited patiently for news about the one person she could safely call a friend here in this strange new world. It had been two years since that fateful day in Konohagakure no Sato, and the young mother's life had truly become...different from that which she once envisioned. Most of it was the same, although the location and people were different. She was a mother, yes. She had a family, yes. She had a nice little home where she could practice her parenthood and bask in the presence of said family, yes.

Yet her dream of one day adding other little Uzumakis to her brood was sadly gone forever. Though the kunoichi had recovered well enough from her ordeal, the damage to her delicate organs had been too great in certain regards and she no longer had the Kyuubi to fix it all up properly. She would never again carry a child within her body...and had a large, ugly scar on her stomach and lower back as a reminder of the Kyuubi's wrath. All Kushina ever heard was how it had been a miracle she survived; apparently they didn't have proper bloodlines here in Remnant despite possessing those Semblance things, which seemed to be hit or miss in certain regards.

The true miracle, however, was Minato.

Violet eyes dragged away from the closed door and turned to the blond man sitting on the bench next to her, softening at the sight of her husband patiently waiting alongside her. He looked the same as ever, in a relative sense. His body had lost weight during the long recovery phase and his cheekbones were more pronounced, but otherwise it was still that far too gentle man she'd fallen for. Kushina hoped that her cooking would help round him out again and get him back to a healthy weight.

...he also always carried a cane around and walked with a terrible limp. His days as a shinobi were over for good. One of the fastest men alive had been crippled by the tribulations of October 10th, and he would never again go on a mission or fight for his family, friends, and homeland. But the man who once led battalions to victory and held the popularity of an entire nation still had his mind, something he was thankful for when the fallout should have seen him six feet under. The Namikaze were not a clan. There was no special genetic ability floating around in his DNA. Minato had to heal from the surefire deathblow the old fashioned way. It had been a very slow process and he would forever possess a faint trembling of the nerves that came and went. In fact he was still technically in the recovery phase for the unforeseen future. And things had been even worse in the beginning considering neither could speak the proper language.

Their situation could have been _sooooo_ bad without Summer Rose standing by them during the last two years, curious but polite, interested but willing to help in any way she could. The woman and her white hood was the one to help them out the most in (re)learning the important facts and language of the world. She helped them 'remember' since it was obvious Kushina, and later Minato, had 'lost' a fair portion of their memory due to the 'Grimm attack'. Qrow and Taiyang did their part too once they were all introduced...and with their continuous appearances, the Uzumaki/Namikaze family found themselves initiated into Remnant's version of the Elemental Nation's ninja.

Hunters.

Trained from a young age? Check. Taught how to use their inner energy for daring feats of strength and skill, augmented by physical ability and intelligence? Check. Sent out on missions to protect and serve? Check.

Both Taiyang and Qrow were employed at Patch's Signal Academy, a place quite similar to the ninja academy where Hunter hopefuls learn the basics of the trade and begin honing themselves for the future. They helped to teach the future fighters and give them what they needed for later. Summer remained a full-time Huntress but occasionally stopped by to help out her old teammates. And that was another similarity between the worlds: four man teams to work together and watch each others' backs out in the field.

However while the Elemental Nations had three students and a sensei to guide them right from the beginning, Remnant did it a little differently. At places like Signal, it was more a pre-academy. The more serious schooling took place in one of the four kingdoms, which students did not enroll in until they were around seventeen years of age. There, two sets of partners were grouped together into a team of four without any teacher paying them solitary attention. The closest one to Patch happened to be Beacon Academy over in Vale...which lead to Minato and Kushina coming into contact with the man who ran it named Ozpin.

He was an interesting fellow. He favored greens and dark colors and always had his cane and a cup of coffee at hand. He did not care much for extraneous speech, and was rather intelligent. Neither Kushina nor Minato saw him as a friend but, then again, they did not interact all that often. Most of the news came from Qrow, who spent a fair amount of time acting as a liaison between Vale and Patch, and debating information on a relatively constant basis. It reminded the pair of Jiraiya and all his secretive dealings. But Ozpin was a standup guy and had all three of the Hunters vouch for him, and seeing as the foreign family _did_ trust that trio, gave them no reason to think otherwise.

And then...speaking of four...considering the friendship between Ozpin and Qrow, it was a safe bet to think that the older headmaster was their missing teammate. But no. It was a woman named Raven Branwen, Qrow's sister...and Yang's mother. The one who married Taiyang a few years after they graduated to full-fledged Hunters, eventually became pregnant, and then gave birth to a vivacious little blonde tomboy that pretty much gained all of Taiyang's physical features.

Then she just left without a goodbye.

If Kushina ever met the woman, they were going to have...very strict words about the abandonment of family.

A fussy whine broke Kushina from her thoughts and brought the mother's attention towards the little girl currently wiggling about in Qrow's grasp as they sat on the next bench over. In the starch whiteness of the hospital's hallway, the older man stood out with his black pants and stylish grey dress shirt. He had narrow red eyes and his hair was spiky and dark, yet became grey near the base of his neck. And bouncing in his lap was a little ball of sunshine with her hair in twin pigtails and a white sundress. Kushina giggled over the sight; Yang was so energetic...and honestly could have passed for Naruto's twin. They both had yellow hair, were loud, and the girl's violet eyes were quite similar to the female Uzumaki's, being only a few shades lighter.

Such a sweetie too...seriously, Kushina hoped she never came across Raven Branwen because nothing good would come of it.

After a moment of watching Yang annoy her uncle she felt a tug on her dress and looked down, peering into the bright blue eyes of her beloved son. What a journey that had been, raising a child. And it had only been around two years since his birth!

Mikoto had never said it would be anything like this...all the tantrums, and noises during all hours of the day...and poop. So much poop. But it was all worth it. Minato's hand reached out and snagged his wife's as if sensing her thoughts, weaving their fingers together as Naruto attempted to squirm out of her grasp and go exploring. Only her hold on the back of his little suspenders kept the lad from (likely) running off and getting into trouble.

"Stay here, Naruto."

"But ma I hungry!"

"Me too!" Yang chirped, causing her friend to nod his head vigorously. Qrow just sighed before grunting as his niece finally jumped off of him (kicking a bit too close to a certain area) and ran over the empty part of their bench to join the Uzumakis. The pair of little blonds began babbling in their half coherent/half baby gibberish but froze when the door of the nearby room _finally_ opened and the slightly sweaty face of Taiyang poked his head out. Yang squealed at the sight of her daddy who grinned in turn; Qrow had to snatch her up before she rushed towards him and either tripped and hurt herself, or caused some other disaster to happen. After all, there were plenty of hidden dangers even here in a hospital and far too much expensive, fragile equipment

"Come on in everybody," Taiyang said quietly before taking hold of his eldest as Qrow made his way over, followed by Naruto and his parents. Besides the medical personnel, the only others within were a visibly relieved Taiyang, a sweaty and exhausted Summer...and a little pink blanket held in the woman's arms.

Yang's cry of 'Mama!' just outmatched Kushina's coo of joy as the group made their way to Summer's bedside. The Huntress' silvery eyes, weary but sparkling, looked around at her friends and loved ones before shifting the blanket to reveal the small bundle nestled within. "Kushina...now I...really know how you really feel." For in her arms was a sleeping baby with a thin patch of black hair, who occasionally wiggled her nose and whined when the blanket kept her from moving.

Kushina nearly melted on the spot at the cuteness. Minato chuckled quietly over his wife's expression and shifted his weight on the cane. Yang had her hair tussled by her father before he set the toddler at Summer's side, and Naruto found himself being squeezed in his mom's arms. But they all had eyes for the newborn just recently brought into the world.

Yang's tiny hand fisted the shoulder of the hospital gown Summer wore as she leaned over for a better look at the most recent addition, face screwing up in infantile confusion. "Who that?"

"Hi baby," Summer said breathlessly before sitting up a bit to bring the girl closer to Yang. "This...is your new sister."

"Oh." The young Xiao Long didn't really understand but nodded nonetheless. "Sister is tiny."

"Yes. And because of that, she'll need your protection. You're a _big_ sister now...and we always take care of our family." Yang understood that a little better, especially the family part. Her lip jutted out slightly and the little blonde reached over to poke the tot, making her sleeping face grow stormy. Summer had to make Yang stop as disgruntled groans began emanating from the child.

"Did you hear that Naruto? Yang has a new baby sister to watch over. Now, Yang might be the oldest of you three, but take care of both of them as well alright?"

"'kay," the Uzumaki quietly said as he watched his little friend be introduced to her new sibling. Kushina smiled softly before walking up and setting Naruto on Summer's other side so she could begin fawning over the newborn as well.

"So what is my newest niece's name, or shall I just call her 'the baby' for the rest of her life?" Qrow asked gruffly but with a hint of a grin. Taiyang threw his arm over the other man's shoulder and gestured towards the bed with his other, putting the two adults nearly cheek to cheek.

"Allow me to formally introduce you to Ruby Rose, second of my daughters and just as beautiful as her mother!"

"O-oh, stop you..." Despite her current disposition Summer still had enough energy to grow red. The adults laughed and the kids continued looking at the chubby package in the woman's arms, yet for a fleeting moment Minato and Kushina locked eyes. The redhead conveyed nothing but sadness as her husband smiled sorrowfully; their momentary negativity was not over the situation...but because of Ruby's name.

Rose. Like Summer Rose. Not Ruby Xiao Long. And it was all because of that dratted Raven again.

Technically...Ruby was born out of wedlock. During their time together since Yang was born, and possibly even before that, there had been some sort of unresolved tension between Taiyang and Summer that neither of the ninja really knew about. Being together during Yang's _early_ early years finally saw them get together, and not even Qrow could truly grow angry over this absolute betrayal of the wedding oath Taiyang gave towards his sister.

Raven left. Abandoned her family. Discarded her own vows made at the altar and apparently retook her maiden name of Branwen. Taiyang was devastated, especially since he had no idea why she left, but the child left behind and his brother-in-law's presence helped keep him from falling fully into depression. Once Summer reentered the picture and things began heating up between them...the elder Xiao Long made the difficult decision of divorcing the first love of his life. Yet even after a full year that was currently still locked up in political limbo due to the fact Raven was not around to give her approval on the matter or sign the proper documents. Summer was unable to legally become the second Mrs. Xiao Long, a fact she truly disliked, but the woman still took up that mantle as best as she could. Yang had absolutely no clue and believed Summer was her real mother as well. She was just too young to truly understand.

Then the day came where Summer became pregnant. It was...unexpected...but not unwanted. Qrow could not truly fault them for doing things that people in love were prone to do, even though he still held sibling reverence and love towards Raven and originally felt some sort of infidelity on her part. But the fault could be spread around to everyone and anything, and yet nothing would get done in the meantime...especially when in the long run there was still one solid truth.

As Kushina liked to say, they were all a family no matter the case and no amount of paperwork or legalities could ever change that.

* * *

 _Three years later:_

Ruby Rose hummed a tuneless melody as she pushed and molded the wet beach sand into...well...it didn't really have much of a shape. But the young three year old continued to smile and have a good time under the bright sun and her failure at creating a proper castle. The youngest of Taiyang and Ruby had grown into a petite child with short black hair tinted slightly red and the same silvery eyes and pale skin of her mother. A sudden large wave suddenly breached the beachfront and swept over the ground, causing Ruby to laugh and wiggle her limbs as the water completely eclipsed her creation and brushed against her crimson one-piece. The ocean was cold and it made her shriek, before said noise turned into a fit of giggles.

From afar, Kushina smiled fondly from underneath her large umbrella. The redhead had her long hair pulled back in a ponytail and a pair of sunglasses pushed low on the bridge of her nose as she continued to switch between watching the children and reading her novel. The older woman wore her own single-piece swimsuit but in purple that hugged her mature body; yet there was a deeper reason behind keeping her form hidden beneath the cloth though. Her scars made Kushina feel self-conscious, a remembrance of what had come to pass. She did not like to show it off if she could help it...but it did not stop her from still enjoying a day of relaxation.

Poor Taiyang, Summer, and Qrow. For her fellow redhead it was expected since the woman was now a part-time Huntress alongside being a stay at home mom, but the real surprise had been Taiyang and Qrow. The men had been momentarily pulled from their jobs at Beacon to rejoin the frontlines against some sort of Grimm resurgence on the border of Vacuo and Vale.

In turn they left the care of the children with Minato and Kushina. It wasn't like this was the first time one family or the other babysat the kids. In fact it was a pretty common sight to see Naruto, Ruby, and Yang frequently spending time together. There weren't many children their age in that area of Patch so it was left up to those three to find entertainment with each other...not that they complained about it. Sometimes though Yang and Naruto would have a playdate with some boys and girls they knew from the elementary school they were enrolled in but otherwise did not like to leave Ruby behind.

"Get back here!"

"No way!"

Two bodies flew past Kushina's spot, one only steps behind the other and all the mother could do was roll her eyes. Far be it for her son to keep out of trouble...not that the short-tempered kunoichi could honestly say she was any better.

At five years old Naruto was the lively, energized sort although far more than a normal child his age. He always had to be on the move, or burning energy, or occasionally pulling a prank when someone wasn't paying attention to him. His slightly rounded features were just like Kushina when she had been a child, yet his hair and eyes proved he was also every bit of Minato as well. He also seemed to like the color orange a lot, as his current swimsuit's shade attested to. And speaking of pranks...

"I'm gonna punch you!" Yang threatened as she rushed after the boy with murder in her eyes. The girl was such a free spirit and liked to act before she thought about the consequences, currently clad in a modest two-piece for her age covered in frills. It was cutesy and slightly strange to see what Kushina considered a rough and tumble sort dressed in something so girly.

Then again, she had gone through that very phase as well in her youth.

Naruto jumped and spun as he sailed through the air, sticking his tongue out at his pursuer who only growled louder at his defiance. A deep sigh caused Kushina to smirk, grabbing the side of her glasses and moving them so she could send an amused look towards her husband who was lying on his back at her side. Minato slowly sat up and ran a hand through his spiky locks before scratching at the gnarled scar of his stomach, just above his own white and red trunks, uncaring that the symbol of his near death was on full display. The kids thought it was 'cool' in their childlike beliefs and Minato liked to use it as a reminder to never let their guards down around Grimm.

Considering he was able to get employed at Signal as a tactics and theory instructor, it worked wonders in reinforcing their back story here in Remnant. Little did the Hunter hopefuls know but they had one hell of the best possible teachers around filling their little noggins with knowledge on not only how to fight, but how to _win_.

Pulling the cords of his swimsuit tighter, Minato looked towards the feuding blonds and called out to them. "What did he do now, Yang?"

"Naruto put seaweed in my hair!" She stopped and gestured towards her slightly longer curls, currently free of her signature ponytails, before stomping her foot in anger. Even at such a young age the girl had become slightly vain...but only because she loved how long and pretty both Kushina and Summer kept their hair and wanted to emulate it. And of course, Naruto being Naruto, knew that it was one of the best ways to push the little dragon's buttons.

Minato turned and gazed at his son with a neutral stare. "Is this true?"

"Of course not!" he denied immediately.

"Oh? Then why are you hiding behind Ruby?" Naruto's eyes flickered to the small body he was currently kneeling behind as said girl stood tall with her hands on her hips to act as his shield. All Ruby knew of the encounter after tuning in was that her sister wanted to hit Naruto again...and that was mean! So it was up to her to help him.

"Uh...'cause I wanted to build a sand castle with her?"

Now that got a whole other reaction. "Really?!" The littlest Rose spun suddenly with hope etched across her face, only to cheer as Naruto nodded, her prior instinct against Yang hurting him completely forgotten in lieu of her enthusiasm. Off near the adults Yang pouted heavily as the situation failed to seek retribution and crossed her arms across her chest only to feel a hand touch down upon her shoulder after a few moments. Looking up she saw Minato had risen and walked over despite his obvious handicap and was using the support of his walking stick to lean just enough to reach her short frame.

"Don't worry. He's not off the hook." Yang appeared confused only for her violet orbs to widen when Minato lifted his hand and showed a small rock held between his fingers. She grinned and her giggles were muffled by her hands over her mouth, turning to watch as her fellow blond was inadvertently drawn into playing with her sister by his own lies. Especially since the gal two years his junior was ordering Naruto around with her squeaky voice and innocent demands.

Then the adult and child heard the clearing of a throat. "Minato..." Kushina warned from her seat, only for the former Yondaime to wave a hand good-naturedly.

"Don't worry, honey. I may not be able to move like I used to but my accuracy is still second to none. You're not the only one who's been working to get their skills back." Or...what he could salvage at any rate.

"Just...be careful."

With a wink in her direction Minato flicked his wrist and the small rock disappeared, only for Naruto to yell out and clutch at the back of his skull. Yang couldn't contain it anymore and laughed loudly which caused the boy with the stinging scalp to glare with squinted eyes. "That's what you get for lying!" the Xiao Long yelled proudly . But before another windup could begin between the children Kushina clapped her hands loudly and began to stand up.

"That's enough everybody, I think it's time to head back. We've been here for quite awhile now and it's almost dinner time. I was thinking of making... _ramen_." She quietly breathed out the last word yet her son's head snapped in her direction so quickly it was comical. The kunoichi smirked; that had been another thing she passed on to her offspring. It was like a delicacy to the boy because there were no restaurants in their area that served the noodles, and Kushina did not make it very often either. Took her forever to make a passable dish too and it was nowhere near Ichiraku's as she remembered...but it still tasted fine and that was what mattered.

Naruto immediately ignored anything else as he grabbed Ruby by the hand and pulled her towards the others. He then winced and rubbed his arm as Yang's knuckles smacked into it, causing the little ravenette to try scolding her sister for hitting Naruto anyways when the situation had already been resolved. In turn the blonde girl simply pulled her sister into a hug and, try as she might, Ruby couldn't stay mad at her for long. The girl's face continued to cycle between annoyed and happy before she ultimately snuggled into Yang's embrace while the other girl had one that spoke of victory; the sisters broke apart after a moment to assist in breaking down the beach supplies to be transported back to the car.

Yeah. That had taken some getting used to. And getting a driver's license each had seemed silly but ultimately worthwhile considering the difficulties the two parents now possessed. Motorized vehicles that were possibly on par with a running shinobi in certain regards were weird but welcome, and don't even get the ninja started on the leaps in technological advances this world had over the Elemental Nations. If only Konoha had things like holograms, or handheld Scrolls, or the ease at which the Cross Continental Transit system could connect from one part of the world to another...

But there was nothing they could do about that now.

As the items were packed away and the kids settled into their seats, the group of five settled in for the ride. The Uzumaki's lived in a small apartment on the outskirts of the city near the wall and from the only 'safe' beachhead off the island's southeast, it would take them about twenty minutes to return if they used the highway. All in all it had just been another normal but enjoyable day.

But that would change soon. In a world just as dangerous as the one they hailed from, Minato and Kushina would be starting Naruto soon on his birthright. He was a literal fountain of chakra, even at his age, and it would take all the control the blond could afford to get an early start. The parents might not have had the usual means to give Naruto proper hands-on training like they could have had things turned out differently...but they still had the know-how, mind, and ability to see him get through it just as well.

First though, it was time for some ramen.

* * *

 ***FIRST BEFORE ANY TECHNICAL SHIT, I JUST HAVE TO SAY RESURRECTION 'F' WAS PRETTY DAMN AWESOME! I saw its first showing here on the 4th at a nearby theater and that surround sound and use of modern technology to update the expression of the fights made it all the better. Every punch and energy blast, and all the epic angles, you could feel the intensity behind it. Sadly I thought the ending wrapped up a little too easily in my opinion but other than that, loved it. Thanks Akira Toriyama for coming back and putting your series back on track with Battle of Gods and Frieza's return.**

 **...**

 **So I understand the whole Yang's mom debate is still going strong, as well as that family's mysterious relationship tree. I know that I said in the last chapter that Qrow and Summer are siblings to add truth to him being the girls' uncle, and a few of you were nice enough to point out that Raven and Qrow share the same last name and so it had to be the other way around. For now I went and changed it so that fits...but that's also the inherent problem.**

 **No matter where I looked, I could not seem to find actual proof that Qrow's last name is Branwen. Nor the fact that Raven is Yang's mysterious mother because she looks far too young (though that could be blamed on the animation).**

 **Ooooor I just missed it all completely or overlooked the information when it was right in front of me...anyways, so far Raven's just saved Yang from Neo, and then met up with her at the end of Volume 2 stating they needed to talk. Everyone is assuming Raven is the** _ **mother/sister**_ **on very little information, and not possessing a different relationship. She could be a cousin on Qrow's side, or even a child Qrow had with a woman for all we know. Yang's mom is still called 'Yang's Mother' and 'Unnamed First Wife' on the wiki. Not that it's the ultimate source of info since Monty regretfully passed away, but the people who edit it are quite thorough in their facts. For now there are still far too many questions that Volume 3 could hopefully answer.**

 **So if someone could link me to this supposed info stating Qrow's relationships, it could help shed some light on the situation. I'm not outright calling you wrong because that's a douche thing to do and we all have our own opinions but I do enjoy knowing canon facts about series so I can work off that. Should anything new come to light then I'll go back and change it to match the truth.**

 **And another thing: as you can see I added some backstory to the Xiao Long/Rose family. If, as I'm guessing, Raven and Taiyang were married and then she simply left after birthing Yang, and Ruby has Summer's name, then something had to be going on there. Or it could be the other way around and Ruby was the one born from marriage. Or maybe Taiyang just got both women pregnant while dating...idk, it doesn't really matter for the story anyways.**

 **And...on a less serious note, thanks to those who checked out my Youtube video or subscribed. I have another up, and a profile picture. Still working on it all though.**

 **Read, review, yadda yadda.**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own either of these.

* * *

Chapter 3:

* * *

With a roar of his childish vocal cords Naruto rushed at the tree, intent on doing...something as Minato watched from a slight distance with rapt attention. The two blonds were just outside Patch's walls today, close enough in case of emergency but far enough away for privacy. There had been some grumblings about letting a child and a cripple meander out on their own from the safe territory, but it wasn't as if the people at the gate could bar the duo from leaving. There was no state of emergency in effect to keep the citizens contained and neither Naruto nor Minato had any outstanding warrants which would automatically alert and call for the police. But it was heavily implied neither should go out on their own.

Minato smiled and claimed they would be fine.

They were warned that, though Grimm never really traveled within one to two miles of Patch unless something called out to them, to still be on their guard.

But like the former Yondaime said...the father and son would be in absolutely no danger. Not with him around. Besides, they weren't going out to hunt the strange beasts or something Oh no, that would be truly idiotic...it was just a training day.

The young Uzumaki boy had his sights set on becoming a Huntsman like most kids out here dreamed of being. It was inevitable; fighting the Grimm was a major sticking point of this world and a surprisingly stable job. There were no shinobi to be found here, or at least the un-clichéd kind, so the son of these two great ninja wanted to follow in his parent's footsteps as best as he could.

What a talk that been when Minato and Kushina had decided their child was old enough to learn about his true origins. The boy was young but...what he held inside could not be kept a secret from him forever. Naruto needed to understand. Besides...it wasn't like the chubby little blond was all alone to weather the weight of the discovery. He had his family. And they would be there all the while to help bear this burden.

Of course they had to stop the (nearly) seven year old from just blurting it out to whomever, specifically to his two best friends Yang and Ruby. It took awhile but they finally got him to understand the importance that it stay a secret. At least for the time being. Naruto had a hard time understanding that initially, but he loved his parents and so if they thought it was necessary, then he would listen.

In the whole of the matter, it all lead to the here and now. Naruto running at a tree outside Vale before somehow defying logic as his entire gravity shifted; parallel to the ground he only made it about three feet up the trunk based entirely on inertia before his footing slipped and he dropped with a pained cry. Minato hobbled over even as Naruto clutched the back of his skull and rolled back and forth before lightly prodding him with his cane. "I did say you would probably need more chakra control first, right?"

Naruto groaned but eventually sat up with a heavy pout. "But you could already climb trees when you were my age."

"I also never had a chakra beast sealed inside me."

"...mom could do it."

Minato rolled his eyes over his son's petulance and held out a hand, waiting for the boy to take it. Eventually the small blond boy touched the larger palm and rose to his feet before picking up a few discarded leaves and pressing them against his bare skin. They surprisingly stuck where they lay, like magic. Even the one resting against his forehead that couldn't be shaken no matter how much he moved about. What was the point of it though? Why was the jinchuriki partaking of these strange activities with the leaves and trees?

Because the senior ninjas wanted their son to be the best he could ever be. And that meant starting his training early in certain areas. Back in Konoha the boy wouldn't have started for another year or so but he was the child of Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato! With both parents teaching Naruto the skills he would have learned back home a little bit early, he would be more than well versed in the different techniques by the time he would have technically graduated the academy...or in this case, enrolled in Patch's pre-Hunter courses.

They only wanted the best for their son.

Besides, Naruto was quite willing to put in the effort, no matter how long it seemed to take him. He inherited that stubbornness from Kushina after all.

"Can't you just teach me something cool?"

Minato was broken from his slight reverie by the quiet question from his son, causing the older male to momentarily shudder as he was bombarded by a blast from the past. For an instant he was reminded of a young preteen with black hair similar to Naruto's and a penchant for wearing goggles. Shaking his head the former Hokage then grinned down at his son. "Once you master the basics, we'll see."

"...mom would do it."

A shocked little laugh slipped out from between the injured man's lips upon hearing the hushed declaration. "Oh really?" he said cockily. "I'm willing to bet Kushina would agree with what _I'm_ doing. That, and she would disapprove of you _not_ listening to her if she were here in my place."

Naruto paused before giving a light shiver. That redheaded woman's temper, when set off, was terrifying. Her lengthy hair would split and begin to wave about as her Uzumaki-potent chakra grew in strength and (ironically) split it into nine separate strands. Her face would darken and her eyes...

Yeah. Scary.

It had to be some sort of genjutsu but Naruto was terrible at breaking such things. In fact all he could really do at this point was practice taijutsu with his mother and chakra control with his dad, up until he gained enough experience to move on to tougher exercises.

Minato had a polite but smug grin as he watched his son return to keeping the leaves glued to his body. The two of them would stay out here for another hour or two before returning home. Naruto still had a bit of homework to do for his elementary school...or as Minato called it, Remnant's version of the civilian school that taught those unable or unwilling to become shinobi.

The man paused suddenly, his face scrunching slightly when something seemed to brush against his senses. There was a disturbance but...not what he was expecting. Reaching over he placed a hand on his son's shoulder and held firm even as the boy asked what he was doing.

"We're going home," Minato stated before the pair vanished on the spot in a brilliant flicker of yellow light. Not a second later the twosome were looking at the familiar walls of the apartment they had lived in for the last six years, as well as a familiar redhead who was entirely focused on the screen of her Scroll as it played some show streamed off the internet. She jerked up in surprise at the unexpected luminescence but quickly blinked and shoved the device away before rising from the couch.

"Minato?" she said in surprise. "I wasn't expecting either of you back so early."

"The beacon I placed on Summer is beginning to break down," he answered quietly, interrupting his wife as Naruto peered up at him in confusion. What was that supposed to mean?

Kushina's eyes widened and she took a step back. "...h-how? A-are you sure?"

Minato simply nodded solemnly before gently touching the woman's arm as she moved over and picked up her son with relative ease and brought him into a hug. The boy couldn't understand why but he hugged her back all the same. All three then departed in the blink of an eye only to wind up in the Xiao Long household miles away near a lesser protected side of the city. They appeared right in front of the stern but kind black-haired Qrow, whose only surprise at the sudden intrusion was a slight twitch of his arms. The man was still not used to Minato's 'Semblance' but damn it all if it wasn't a handy little skill.

However, as the blond man once explained, it was not all-powerful. It was not perfect. He could sense the seals and judge their distance, but it could not transmit mentally anything else of note. They were also supposed to be permanent. Not even death could normally erase them...

"Hello you three," the scythe-wielder then greeted pleasantly. "I was not expecting to see you today, nor in such an...abrupt manner."

"Is Taiyang in?"

"...no. He took the girls out for ice cream. Is something the matter?"

Minato and Kushina shared a quick glance before the man hobbled over to Qrow with an unusually somber expression. "Do you have your weapon with you?"

"Yes?"

"Then we need to go. Now. Be prepared for anything."

Before Qrow could object the pair had vanished, leaving behind the mother and son in the strangely empty house. All the redhead could do was sit in the chair and hold her little boy close as he tried to ask her what was wrong. Lots of things were wrong but the woman just couldn't voice them.

Even now, Kushina should have expected that the happiness they found here couldn't remain forever. She was a kunoichi; retired because of odd circumstances, but still one all the same. She had undergone the training and experienced such dire situations firsthand back in the Elemental Nations but...a part of her had hoped it would be different in Remnant.

Of course it had to happen to one of the ones that truly didn't deserve it. Nothing could remove Minato's seal and yet, one of them was losing its structure while the person it was placed upon was out on a routine patrol to thin out the Grimm. Her husband did not make mistakes. Especially when it came to his own technique. Kushina did not want to rush to conclusions but...things were different here. Something had caused a disruption within Summer's marking which shouldn't have been possible.

Despite the creatures having apparently existed since the dawn of mankind, humans still knew very little about Grimm beyond their appearances and skills.

So there, in a house that wasn't her own, she quietly grieved for the person that made said house into a _home_. She grieved for the person's husband in everything but name. She grieved for the children left behind. But most of all she grieved for herself, because the circumstances dredged up unwanted memories concerning another situation where it could have been _her_.

Her son, left alone in a world that abhorred the very thing he had been forced to become. Any mistake could see his secret exposed. Then despised and looked upon with contempt, simply because his parents couldn't call upon the resolve to make everything well again when it was up to them to see things right, even when the odds were heavily stacked.

The weakness needed to be released now...so she could be strong for those who needed it later on.

Naruto had never seen his mother cry like this before in genuine sadness.

It was something he never wanted to see again.

* * *

Qrow did not know what to expect after Minato abducted him with no true explanation behind the action. But he was an intelligent man, and the subtle clues he noticed exposed that something was not on the up and up. For one, the entire Namikaze/Uzumaki family made an appearance. Dear old Kushina looked as if she were holding something back, and the Huntsman had _never_ seen Minato look the way he did. By asking if Qrow was armed it was obvious that the blond was expecting a fight. One of three situations came to mind based upon these facts.

 **1.** Patch was under siege by something or someone. Yet after the first mention of the children and Taiyang, there had been no further explanation. If the city was truly being attacked then obviously some effort would have been made to retrieve the trio once it was known they were out.

 **2.** Ruby, Yang, and Taiyang were in some sort of trouble. But the same reasoning applied here as the first.

So...it had to be **3.** Someone else they knew was in danger.

When they reappeared in a clearing somewhere near Patch's northwest coast, Qrow automatically unfurled his weapon and prepared for an encounter. What he found was a sea of Grimm bodies breaking down as they were regularly known to do, disintegrating and flaking away into black ashy bits. They littered the ground of the surrounding area...but that was not all. There were plenty more to spare, still alive but hanging on the outskirts of the battleground. Qrow could have sworn they were leaving...until the two men popped in without any sort of announcement.

Then he saw it. A flash of white at their feet that stood out against even the pale bony masks and adornments the Grimm possessed. It was body length and rested upon the ground unmoving...and there were deep splotches of red marking its normally pristine appearance.

"Summer," Qrow breathed in disbelief as he dropped to his knees and reached out to the woman, even as the remaining Grimm began to turn around and lumber their way back to the slaughter. There were far too many of the beasts and it made absolutely no sense why such a huge gathering was here on Patch. Even with the amount of creatures left dead in the field, the experienced and hardened Qrow Branwen found himself tightly clutching the pole of his scythe as the waves of emotion-seeking Grimm returned to challenge them.

Summer had been forced to endure all of this?

"Grab her and the other two." Minato pointed towards where he could see the bodies of the Huntsmen who had been out on patrol with the woman. "I'll handle the Grimm."

Qrow looked positively stunned. He had gently flipped Summer over, exposing pale skin that had gained a sickly, unhealthy pallor, before his head snapped in the direction of the other male. "Are you mad? I know you're a smart man, Minato. You have a _physical_ _disability that impairs movement_! I'm not claiming you're helpless but damnit man, there's no way in hell you can stand up to an army of Grimm!" Qrow was then exposed to the sight of a knife slipping out of the blue-eyed man's sleeve. It was strange in design, with three prongs making up the blade and a visible squiggle along the handle that made up his teleportation symbol. His cane somehow disappeared in a puff of smoke, making him stumble ever so slightly, before he pulled a second weapon out and flipped it around.

His face was also one of utmost seriousness. He wasn't mad in that sense of the word...but he was angry.

"My career might be over, but in no way am I helpless. Get the others. I'll keep them off your back."

Then the massacre began.

With only two kunai, Namikaze Minato decimated the horde of remaining Grimm like a reaper bathed in golden light. Wherever his knives were thrown he would appear, piercing through the thick hides of the beasts with weapons that could not transform, nor were they made of reinforced material. Occasionally he created some strange sphere of aura that could crush the monsters with unnatural ease. He even used it to take out an alpha Ursa which was big enough to hold the mass of three lesser ones; a swipe that would have literally destroyed the relatively small man sailed through the spot he formerly occupied, before the Grimm was slammed into the ground with the ball of blue energy grinding into its back. Minato had fallen from the sky, using gravity to increase his speed and damage and ultimately KO the Ursa in one shot.

The man then calmly collected Qrow, Summer, and the other two men before departing. All that remained in Minato's wake was the shedding corpses of the vanquished Grimm. Near-death had robbed him of much...but he was still the man who once led Konohagakure no Sato as the Fourth Hokage. Movement might have been a bother nowadays...but when you had a technique which allowed you to cross great spans of distance in mere seconds, certain liberties could be taken.

The Yondaime did not like to use the Hiraishin for frivolous things, as simply teleporting back and forth just for better movement was a waste of chakra...but this had certainly been a situation where its usage was a must.

* * *

Ruby cried, and Yang was nearly in a state herself. The coffin that housed Summer Rose slowly lowered into the excavated earth in the graveyard built within the center of the city, for protection against all the negativity these events were bound to create. The girls clung tightly to the pants of their father as the procession continued and the gathered masses were allowed to pay their last respects; Taiyang Xiao Long's face was unnaturally blank as he watched the burial proceed as planned. Ever since Summer's body was recovered the older blond had effectively shut down to the world around him. He went through the motions well enough...but his mind was always a thousand miles away.

Even experienced and trained Hunters ran the chance of being overwhelmed by the terrible entities known as the Creatures of Grimm. He just never thought it would ever affect his own life through such an insane coincidence concerning an unforeseeable surge in those bastards on their homely little island. How fortuitous though that the woman's body (and her partners') had been recovered to give them the right of a proper burial, when otherwise they'd all be listed as MIA for the foreseeable future.

But it was also because of this major shift that certain things were inevitably brought to light.

Ruby was only five years old but all she understood was that her mother was gone, despite being _right there_ in that box. It was too much for the young girl to currently understand. All she really knew was that Summer Rose would no longer be around anymore in her life, and it was that realization thrust upon her that brought about her sadness.

Yang on the other hand...was forced to learn something much, much harsher.

Summer Rose was not her mother. The young blonde always thought it kind of odd that her last name was different from her mom's but then again, it was the same for Naruto but in reverse thanks to some weird reason she neither remembered nor really cared about. But even she could see that her best friend was the son of those two just by looking at him.

Yang only looked like Taiyang while Ruby was just like Summer. She had a different mother than Ruby. One who just left one day, and left behind her daddy and...her. Why would her mom do that? Did she not love her? The girl couldn't understand it one bit. And it was why she now felt so conflicted about everything. Was she sad about Summer's passing? Of course! For all seven years of her life, Ruby's mom had also been her mom. The best mom. One that sang songs and baked cookies and was nice during punishments even when she had every right to be mad. Only now, she knew that Summer wasn't her _true_ mom despite clearly acting like it. And it was really confusing.

Yang felt like she had now lost two mothers in the span of a week once everything had come clean. The child wasn't sure how to properly handle that stress. So she was in some sort of fugue state, even as she continued to hug her smaller _half-_ sister without pause. Things didn't change—wouldn't change—between them, but it couldn't change the fact they were half related.

Four months passed, and things only became a little better as the funeral's presence hanging around them began to lift. An accident when the two were goofing around and ran into their father's room caused Yang to discover a picture hidden away that showed a familiar house outside of Patch with four people standing in front of it posing for the photo. There was Taiyang, Summer, and Qrow; all were younger in looks...but the fourth was what really drew the young girl's attention. Give her longer, darker hair and red eyes...and it could have been Yang looking at an older version of herself. Especially the way their hair liked to naturally curl around.

Confused but understanding that somehow, someway, this woman might have some sort of answer, Yang snuck out of the house with her sister and began her long trek to the destination she had in mind.

By the time she arrived at the house a few miles outside the city, it was to find it abandoned and the land overgrown with plant life, with it only just beginning to encroach upon the abode. Yang was exhausted; her legs trembled from the constant exertion due to her quest, and despite it being a crisp autumn day she was ready to drop from the heat generated by her exercise. At least Ruby was okay. The girl had fallen asleep awhile ago and was still unconscious in the small red wagon the blonde had used to transport her sibling. But while Ruby was all snuggled up in her small red hood she'd taken to wear at all times of the day, Yang was covered in leaves and dirt stains. Her hair had a twig or two poking out from her pigtails.

And something was growling.

She took a step back as, from within the darkened hole where the front door should have been, multiple red-eyed glares peered out at her. Immediately she knew they were Grimm but poor Yang could not flee. Those were Beowolves if she was remembering the textbooks correctly and they'd run her down in an instant, even if she wasn't exhausted.

Now she was going to die just like Summer sadly did. Unable to even cry out for help. And her foolishness had condemned her sister as well.

But then came a form of hope in a flash of steel. Her Uncle Qrow zipped out of the foliage and made short work of the wolves before turning furious eyes upon the children. Once the scolding saw Yang reticent and as remorseful as can be, the Huntsman's anger dispelled itself as he gazed upon the ramshackle house that served as their backdrop.

 _His and Raven's former childhood home_.

Taiyang was going spare the moment it was discovered his daughters were missing, snapping out of the melancholy mood he'd adopted since Summer's passing only to replace it with an irate worry. He began searching the surrounding area like a man possessed after a sweep of the house; the broken picture frame was found within the man's quarters and it gave Taiyang all he needed to know. They couldn't have gotten far, right? They were just kids! And Yang would never make the trip back out there by herself, especially with Ruby weighing her down!

Qrow, however...he was able to take a more logical approach to the situation. Raven's little girl had always been bright, and she was already beginning to mature physically into a smaller version of his sister continued to grow. Plus it was literally a straightforward path to reach the small abandoned village where he used to live.

The photo that was missing...the scythe-user knew exactly what it contained. He had the exact same copy in his wallet. And Yang only knew three of the Hunters immortalized in the picture. The girl had been to his old place before but it was obviously without Raven about. If she was beginning to put certain things together on her own...

It would have been Taiyang's duty to fill in his child about her proper origins but his recent negativity had put him on academic leave and also on a watch list for possibly attracting Grimm. Now Yang had found a clue towards something she couldn't understand and, with nothing else to go off of, most likely decided to seek it out for answers.

He was out the door in an instant, dashing without pause down the familiar dusty road ringed by trees on both sides. The adrenaline pumping through his veins aided his travels and allowed him to skim precious minutes off his time.

And none too soon, the building he sought came into view. His body reacted on instinct, slicing through the Grimm about to attack his nieces with military precision before he could consciously realize what was happening. With one fluid motion the weapon folded up and he slipped it against the small of his back where the magnetic holster kept Qrow's weapon in place before turning to the cowering girls with the blood still pounding in his ears.

When Qrow eventually drew them back to safety, Taiyang snatched them both up and would not let go. It was the first time since they all went out for ice cream that the man was actually focusing his full attention upon them.

It swiftly ended when he then told the black-haired man in no uncertain terms to watch the kids before promptly leaving.

In under an hour, there was a knocking on the Uzumaki's door despite the darkness of the sky. When Minato answered it, he came face to face with an intoxicated Taiyang Xiao Long who began to belligerently demand why Minato hadn't used his hokey super Semblance to warp to the girls when they went missing. This, of course, set Kushina off as she began freaking out, only to be somewhat mollified thanks to Taiyang remarking offhandedly that Qrow saved them already from some Grimm.

No thanks to Minato.

This lead to the Yondaime having to slowly explain that his ability was not omniscient. He did not have the time to monitor his seals twenty-four/seven, and even then it merely allowed for a judge of distance. While he did indeed care for Ruby and Yang they were _not_ his children. They were under the responsibility of their parent. The one who, for the better part of the last few months, essentially neglected the two to instead wallow in his own self-pity. Minato and his family were more than willing to continue providing assistance as they already had been doing but he needed to remember something; it was perfectly acceptable to mourn a loss...but he was not the only one who had been suffering from Summer's unfortunate demise out in the field.

Then the former ninja flicked his hands up with the palms forward and forefinger and thumb touching together, with one of his special kunai reaching from pinkie to pinkie. Taiyang quickly found himself falling face first to the floor after being teleported back home, nearly falling atop Qrow as the man sat upon a chair with his Scroll in hand as he ironically attempted to get a hold of his brother-in-law. The thud momentarily stunned the blonde adult and as he stayed on the ground trying to regain his drunken senses. Qrow meanwhile casually put his device away. The girls were asleep by now after such an exhausting day. It was good that they were not up to see this.

Also taking into account how the man reappeared in that brilliant flash...so that's where he had run off to.

Wiggling his nose as he sat up, Taiyang took a moment to look around as his eyes tried to focus. He was incensed over the passive accusations, but he also felt sick, and the floor was cool enough that he eventually flopped back down and fell asleep right there. Qrow just shook his head at the sight. He hadn't seen Taiyang like this in years. For whatever reason, he hoped the visit to Minato hadn't caused any long-term issues. He later received a message from Kushina giving a brief rundown of the encounter, something that caused the Huntsman to begrudgingly nod his head in agreement. Qrow had been attempting the very same thing but at least their friend was hopefully finally able to get through his thick skull.

This would help pull Taiyang's head out of the ground so he could remember the bigger picture. That, or he would only dig his hole even deeper.

However...the next day in spite of his heavy hangover, Taiyang Xiao Long pulled his daughters aside and the three of them had a much needed conversation in regards to certain things that needed to be said.

It was also the day Yang would go against the norm and discover her Semblance before even first unlocking her Aura.

Taiyang's jaw would ache for a week after that but at least the family dynamic had a new sense of hope.

* * *

 **So this chapter. Somewhat heavy. Somewhat canon. Somewhat long to post since the last chapter. I know. But that's life, even the fictional kind. And I stand by what I wrote for Minato...Hiraishin isn't a Deus Ex Machina move despite the Naruto series being chock full of them. Yes it allows for instantaneous teleportation of the user or other objects/people...but that's it. Or else I've somehow completely overlooked something that would screw up what I've written up there.**

 **The pre-volume stuff should be done in a few more chapters as well.**

 **As for my rate of uploads...I've just been focusing a lot on finding a job, as well as putting forth the effort into creating better quality videos. I feel like I have so much time to work on things at the moment and yet, I also feel like I'm being pulled in all kinds of directions with no time to spare, mostly in ways I really don't want to go while others continue to drag me along regardless of what I try. But that's just an excuse I suppose. I'll actually have a chapter of another story done soon as well but it will contain these exact same author's note paragraphs so feel free to ignore them if you read that as well.**

 **Either way try checking on this instead:**

 **For those who may have checked out my Youtube channel, I don't have very much up as of yet. At most I had two Minecraft videos where myself and my friend just screwed around and made an attempt at Let's Play conversation. Not much editing, and not truly entertaining.**

 **Well guess what? I finally settled on a niche, and the first video of many was posted a few days ago. I take a look at monsters in video games and give a brief explanation surrounding their encounters in-game. I scripted and voiced it, and my buddy edited while I gave my own input. Compared to the Minecraft ones, this one came out oh so much better. We're both still honing our skill though, and this video was left short so as to test how the finished product would be received by viewers. It's not the most professional but we work with what we have.**

 **I started with SCP-Containment Breach. I've exposed four so far in the first video...but there's still twenty three to go, as well as the other games I've decided to use for this...first season I suppose. Check it out if you wish. The link to my channel is on my profile page and I fixed the link for my twitter, not realizing when I changed my Twitter handle it wouldn't keep the link updated. And thanks to you all in advance, in regards to my writing or videos. I know my updates have lagged as of late but I still appreciate you all following my work anyways.**


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